Eddie Durham, Trombone/Guitar, 1906, San Marcos,TX
Eddie's older brother gave him his first music lessons and within a short time he was playing the banjo in the Durham Brother band. After the banjo he took up the guitar and trombone, playing both instruments throughout his career. During the early '30s he worked with Walter Page and Benny Moten as trombonist and arranger. Durham moved to New York in 1934 to play and arrange for Willy Bryant. He then worked for Jimmy Lunceford and Count Basie. During the latter part of the 1930s Eddie wrote arrangements for Artie Shaw and Glenn Miller, and in 1940 he finally formed a big-band of his own. Eddie also experimented with the electric guitar around the same time Charlie Christian began working with the instrument. During the '50s and' 60s Eddie worked mainly as a freelance arranger, and performed less frequently. He resumed playing on a full-time basis in 1969 when he joined Buddy Tate's band. He also appeared with other bands and even toured in Europe in the '80s. Durham was widely recognized as a valuable instrumentalist and anoutstanding composer. Eddie Durham died in 1987.
Jimmy Rowles, Piano, 1918, Spokane, WA
For the most part, Jimmy taught himself to play the piano, although he did receive some formal lessons later in his career. He was very-much impressed with the playing of Teddy Wilson, who was probably his main influence. He worked in bands in and around Seattle while studying music at the University of Washington. In 1942 he moved to Los Angeles where he freelanced and finally joined Lester Young's swinging group. During the '40s, Jimmy played with various musicians and bands including Benny Goodman and Woody Herman, but it was working as an accompanist to singers, particularly Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee, that he really became popular. In the late '50s he worked extensively on film soundtracks and did a great deal of playing in the Hollywood recording studios. In 1973 he moved to New York, where he worked in jazz clubs, mainly in small groups with Zoot Sims, George Mraz, and Buster Williams. In the early '80s, Rowles went on the road with Ella Fitzgerald for two years, and then settled, this time, in Southern California. In 1986 Los Angeles declared September 14th, "Jimmy Rowles Day". Rowles was always a sensitive player, with a swinging, bop/mainstream style, who was particularly drawn to the music of Duke Ellington. Jimmy Rowles died in 1996.
Spud Murphy, Sax/Arranger, 1908, Salt Lake City, UT
Manzie Johnson, Drums, 1906, Putnam, CT
